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The Slachter's Nek Rebellion was an uprising against the British colonial government by
Boers Boers ( ; ; ) are the descendants of the proto Afrikaans-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled the Dutch ...
in 1815 on the eastern border of the
Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...
.


Background

In 1815, a farmer from the eastern border of the
Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...
, Frederik Bezuidenhout was summoned to appear before a court after being accused of abusing one of his
Khoi Khoikhoi ( /ˈkɔɪkɔɪ/ ''KOY-koy'') (or Khoekhoe in Namibian orthography) are the traditionally nomadic pastoralist indigenous population of South Africa. They are often grouped with the hunter-gatherer San (literally "foragers") peop ...
labourers and refusing to pay him. After refusing to show up, he was sentenced to one month in jail for
contempt of court Contempt of court, often referred to simply as "contempt", is the crime of being disobedient to or disrespectful toward a court of law and its officers in the form of behavior that opposes or defies the authority, justice, and dignity of the co ...
and an order for his arrest was issued. Upon being confronted, Bezuidenhout resisted arrest and fled to a cave near his home, where he fought the
Khoikhoi Khoikhoi (Help:IPA/English, /ˈkɔɪkɔɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''KOY-koy'') (or Khoekhoe in Namibian orthography) are the traditionally Nomad, nomadic pastoralist Indigenous peoples, indigenous population of South Africa. They ...
soldiers sent to capture him. After refusing to surrender, he was shot and killed by one of the soldiers. At Bezuidenhout's funeral, his outraged brother, Johannes Jurgen (Hans Jan) Bezuidenhout, swore to take revenge on the officials whom he held responsible for his brother's death. He urged local Boers to rebel against the colonial government, wanting to chase the British and the Khoikhoi into the sea and establish an independent state on the eastern frontier.


Uprising

Hendrik Prinsloo, along with Hans Bezuidenhout organised a 200-man uprising against the British colonial authority, which was believed, by the
Boer Boers ( ; ; ) are the descendants of the proto Afrikaans-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled the Dutch ...
s (Afrikaner farmers) to be hostile towards themselves and to favour Blacks and Coloureds above the Afrikaner farmers. The Boers also had more than 3,600 cattle stolen and felt the British were not doing enough to protect them from the attacks by the Xhosa. On 18 November, a commando of 60 rebels met an armed force of 40 soldiers sent by Colonel Jacob Cuyler, the military commander and
Landdrost ''Landdrost'' ({{IPA, nl, ˈlɑndrɔst, lang, Nl-landdrost.ogg) was the title of various officials with local jurisdiction in the Netherlands and a number of former territories in the Dutch Empire. The term is a Dutch compound, with ''land'' mean ...
(magistrate) on the eastern borders, supported by 30 loyalist Boers led by Willem Nel, at Slachter's Nek. Negotiations failed, and the majority of the rebels left without any shots being fired. Twenty rebels surrendered, followed by several more over the following few days. However, some of the leaders, among whom was Hans Bezuidenhout, refused to turn themselves over to the authorities. On 29 November, they were attacked by colonial troops. Everybody but Bezuidenhout and his family surrendered, and like his brother, Hans died while resisting arrest.


Aftermath

47 of the rebels were tried at
Uitenhage Uitenhage ( ; ), officially renamed Kariega, is a South African town in the Eastern Cape Province. It is well known for the Volkswagen factory located there, which is the biggest car factory on the African continent. Along with the city of Port El ...
. ;Names of accused * Hendrik Frederik Prinsloo * Nicolaas Balthazar Prinsloo, Marts-son * Willem Jacobus Prinsloo, Wm-son * Nicolaas Prinsloo, Wm-son * Willem Prinsloo, Ns-son * Johannes Prinsloo, M.son * Willem Krugel * Hendrik van der Nes * Cornelis van der Nes * Stoffel Rudolph Botha * Willem Adriaan Nel * Thomas Andries Dreyer * Johannes Bronkhorst * Hendrik Petrus Klopper * Jacobus Klopper * Petrus Laurens Erasmus * Joachim Johaunes Prinslo * Johannes Frederik Botha * Hendrik Frederik Prinsloo * Nicolaas Balthazar Prinsloo (He took part in the
Great Trek The Great Trek (, ) was a northward migration of Dutch-speaking settlers who travelled by wagon trains from the Cape Colony into the interior of modern South Africa from 1836 onwards, seeking to live beyond the Cape's British colonial adminis ...
and was murdered with the van Rensburg trek party at Djindispruit,
Limpopo River The Limpopo River () rises in South Africa and flows generally eastward through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mou ...
,
Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
at the end of July 1836.) 39 rebels were found guilty, with 32 being ordered and six were sentenced to death. Most of them were subsequently pardoned by the Governor, leaving only eight to be banished and five to be executed. On 9 March 1816, the remaining five were hanged in public at Van Aardtspos. Four of the nooses broke during the procedure and the still living convicts, together with many spectators, pleaded for their lives, but the executioner ordered them to be hanged a second time. Sixteen of the convicts were forced to witness the executions. The rebellion and the consequent executions of the rebels have acquired special significance among contemporary South African historians as the beginning of an Afrikaner struggle against British colonial rule.


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Further reading

* * * * 1815 in South Africa Conflicts in 1815 19th-century rebellions Afrikaner nationalist rebellions Anti-black racism in South Africa Boer nationalism Cape Colony Military history of South Africa Rebellions against the British Empire White supremacy in South Africa {{SouthAfrica-hist-stub